There is confusion over the number of casualties in the ill-fated SK76 helicopter which crashed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday, October 24, 2024.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has disclosed that no additional bodies have been found at the site of Thursday’s crash involving the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter in Port Harcourt, Rivers State it hired, pegging the number of deaths at three.

Contrastingly, the NSIB put the figure of the recovered bodies at five.

In a statement by the state oil company on Sunday, October 27, 2024, it affirmed that no additional body has been recovered aside the initial three recovered on the day of the unfortunate incident.

“The NNPC Ltd. wishes to announce that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.
“The Company further notes that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities is still ongoing” the statement noted.

This is in stark contrast to the position of the NSIB Director General, Alex Badeh, who claimed on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show Sunrise Daily that two additional bodies had been recovered.

“We have recovered two more bodies, making it a total of five. There are three more down there that hopefully will be recovered today,” he stated categorically.

It would be recalled that the crash happened around 11:22 am on Thursday near Bonny Finima, off the coast of Port Harcourt.

Eight persons (six passengers and two crew members) were on board the aircraft when the incident happened.